A public health emergency was proclaimed by the Long Beach, California, City Council on May 2nd in reaction to a tuberculosis epidemic.
A press statement from the City of Long Beach states that the epidemic has already had severe effects, with one death and nine others hospitalized. The city’s health officer, Dr. Anissa Davis, first declared the emergency after 14 cases were found at a motel with single occupancy rooms. The disease count reached 175 as of May 6.
The virus can be passed on to others and needs treatment for around six months.
Bacteria such as mycobacterium tuberculosis are responsible for the devastating infectious illness known as tuberculosis (TB). Though tuberculosis usually manifests in the lungs, it is capable of spreading to other organs such as the kidneys, spine, and brain. People whose immune systems are already compromised, including those living with HIV/AIDS, are more likely to get tuberculosis.
Last year, TB infections broke a 27-year pattern of decreases and rose by 16% nationwide.
Public health officials and epidemiologists, such as Dr. Priya Shete of UC San Francisco and Dr. Luke Davis of Yale, are calling for more screening of high-risk populations and more robust public health policies to prevent the disease’s spread. Untreated TB infections may progress to active cases, as the disease can lie latent for years before surfacing.
Millions of illegal aliens from tuberculosis-stricken nations have been brought into the US and, with taxpayer dollars, have been flown all across the country by the Biden administration. They have been sent chiefly to major cities, where crowded public spaces and transportation networks foster the rapid spread of infectious diseases. Additionally, during Biden’s presidency, hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens have been directly flown to U.S. airports.
The spread of TB is not limited to California. TB has recently appeared at an elementary school in Las Vegas. An Alaskan elementary school has also tested positive for the disease. An epidemic of TB has broken out in several shelters housing illegal migrants in Chicago.
